Simply Keto: A Practical Approach to Health & Weight Loss with 100+ Easy Low-Carb Recipes

I love, love, love, this cookbook. I've struggled to lose weight since my youngest was born 13 years ago. In spite of cutting out fast food, soda, junk food, and processed food over the years, my weight kept creeping up. I started running, took challenging classes at the gym, and even invested in a personal trainer for a while. I could lose a few pounds at most if I really worked super hard, but it was always too difficult to maintain that level of effort for such small results. When I first heard of the ketogenic diet, I dismissed it. I've always drawn the line at fad diets. However, I know a couple of people who follow a keto diet and love it. It didn't seem too difficult so I decided to give it a shot. There are two resources that make it manageable on a daily basis. The first is a free app called My Fitness Pal that I use to keep track of my carb, fat, and protein intake each day. The second is this cookbook. Not only does the book contain a good description of the keto diet and tips for sticking with it, but it includes a wide range of truly delicious and easy recipes. I have made many of them so far, and they've all been popular with my entire family. Sometimes I will make pasta, rice, or some other side dish for my non-keto husband and kids, but most of the time it isn't necessary and they are perfectly happy with the recipes as they are written. They are easy to double if you'd like leftovers for lunch the next day, and don't call for hard to find ingredients (I ordered Swerve and blanched almond flour online, but everything else is easy to find at my local grocery store). It's been a month in a half since I started the keto diet. I am down 13 pounds and feel great with no plans to stop any time soon. This cookbook has made the keto diet simple to follow in spite of my busy life with a business and three dogs. There's a sample 30 day meal plan included, tips for eating out or traveling, and similar resources.

REVIEW: This is the best Keto book I’ve read. All the recipes I tried turned out (no duds). The best, part my family loved them all. These recipes took little time to prepare and make. That’s a huge bonus. The yummy recipes I tried were:60 – Second Mug Biscuits, Blueberry Mug Muffin, Broccoli, Bacon, and Cheese Egg Muffins, Biscuits and Gravy, Keto Crackers, Creamy Pesto Chicken, and Brownies. I watched my family smile as they ate everything and asked for seconds. I was beaming to see them pleasantly satisfied and I was too! This author is honest and transparent about why she started the Ketogenic diet in 2015 and freely talked about her struggles along the way to wellness. Basically, Suzanne had weight issues for years; tried every diet nothing worked for long. She was highly motived to change her life style after had a baby and had her gallbladder removed and was told to go on a fat free diet, which made her gain even more weight. When she saw the scale tipping 300 pounds, she was willing to do whatever it took to turn her life around. Suzanne didn’t wait to pay to lose weight, buy a packaged anything, or invest in prepared meals, she wanted to eat clean foods and make a permanent change. She started to blog about her experience and made monthly youtube videos to encourage others and herself. She was so surprised at how many people reached out to her. The author has a blog www.ketokarma.com It took one year but Suzanne lost 100 pounds. In the book she talks about her wellness journey and answers questions readers have sent her. She does this in the beginning of her book. She goes on to explain how the Keto plan works in the chapter titled Keto 101. A fun fact I discovered there are two affective ways to determine if you are in ketones or not. One way is to use the breath analyzer and the second is to use the blood glucose and ketone monitor. I found this information very helpful because the ketone strips never worked for me. I learned several other helpful tips that make this something I can stick with as my family and I head to get healthier and lose weight. I’ve tried several other keto books, they were complicated, did not include many pictures of recipes and my family didn’t like the recipes I tried. Suzanne’s approach is like she says, “Simple” to understand, use and make. A bonus for me was my family favorites were in this book. Now Suzanne has made easy to make and keto friendly. I’m super excited about the fact that the author includes a 30 day mean plan. I highly recommend this book for those on the Keto diet and for those that just want amazing, wonderful, yummy recipes that are gluten free friendly (most are) I can’t say enough about this book.

I purchased this book so my family and a friend could practice cooking healthy keto foods. While I haven’t finished reading the science part (I read some of the beginning and then jumped into the food lists and cooking, as I’ve done keto before, but needed recipes ASAP - and I intend to backtrack and read the entire book), I have cooked several of the recipes, including: Broccoli, Bacon, and Cheese Egg Muffins, Cheese Crisps, Cheese Shell Tacos, Fried Tuna Patties, and Mick’s Spicy Aioli, Parmesan-Crusted Salmon Bake with Asparagus. Next up are Quick and Easy Personal Pizza and Sweet and Spicy Fried Shrimp, which both look just as yummy as all the recipes we’ve tried so far. So far the recipes have all been hits, except for the sauce for the salmon and asparagus, which we need to try again in case we goobered somewhere along the way. The most major hits with the family? Cheese crisps, cheese shell tacos, and Broccoli, Bacon, and Cheese Egg Muffins (major, major hit!) which are basically crustless mini quiches. I do wish some of the directions were better. Even as an experienced cook, I struggled to figure out what some directions meant. For example, the salmon/asparagus recipe called for rectangular packets made of parchment paper and instructed them to be sealed so they looked like calzone. Calzone is made as a half-circle, so making it rectangular is confusing, while the folds are rolled and pinched, which kinda make sense, but hard to do with parchment. I was left wanting pictures of the steps and a better explanation. One other caveat: There are a lot of recipes for sweets and a great dependence on sugar alcohols (Swerve, etc.), stevia, and other sugar replacements. If one cuts down the sweets and/or sugar content, you develop less of a sweet tooth and less sweet foods are more satisfying. To depend on sugar replacements such as Swerve that will spike insulin levels, cause more hunger, and lead to cravings for more sweets over the course of the day and overall, well, seems a little counter-productive. In addition, sugar alcohols can lead to intestinal upsets. I bought this book in three formats: Kindle, paperback, and spiral-bound paperback. Overall, while I like the Kindle version for being able to search through the cookbook for specific ingredients, I really like the spiral-bound paperback. While both paperbacks are of good quality paper and have a heavy cover, the spiral-bound version lays flat so you can read the recipe easily and it also allows you to photocopy the recipe if you want to be able to write on it to keep track of your progress with ingredients, etc. If I were to buy this book again, I would definitely buy the spiral-bound version, despite the difference in price. I highly recommend this book/cookbook for anyone looking for great basic keto recipes that can become household staples and for basic info on keto, keto-safe foods, and getting started on the keto diet, not to mention the author’s inspirational story and incredible before and after pictures. Overall, I think this is an excellent cookbook and I expect to enjoy the rest of the recipes that we cook. And we do intend to cook our way through the rest of the cookbook.

This has been a great inspiration for doing the Keto diet in a simple manner. I liked Suzanne's down to earth approach to the way that she was eating. I also appreciated that she wasn't pushing any specific agenda or any products. She did provide information on products that she used and that worked well for her, but not in a manner that I would consider advertising. There are also a lot of great recipes. My only complaint is the amount of cheese that is in many of these recipes. I know that this is something that is common in the Keto diet circuit, but not everyone does well with dairy. Other than that I highly recommend to anybody who is considering a keto diet.

I'm still struggling with getting the hang of the macros for my keto diet plan. I think I'm still eating way too many calories and I'm still having cravings for food after a month of being on the plan. But one thing is for sure, I really do like this book. Everything that I've tried so far has been delicious and easy to prepare. I've already made the mug biscuits. They are delicious. I'm from the southeast United States so I really appreciated that. It was kind of comforting to know that Suzanne also grew up partly in South Carolina like me so her palate and a lot of her recipes would suit my tastes. Like me, as she's grown and lived in other places besides the South, her palate has expanded to include other flavors. You can see that in some of her recipes and that appeals to me too. I like that some of her recipes are definitely a throwback to southern comfort food while others reflect fresh, multicultural flavors that were probably influenced by her life in California and other places. I have also made the cauliflower casserole with bacon (which is fairly standard in most keto cookbooks but I found her version even simpler and easier) and I've made the chicken cordon bleu with the crushed pork skins for the coating. I substituted pounded chicken thighs for the chicken breast and cooked them just a little longer (since dark meat tends to take longer) and they too turned out absolutely delicious. I've seen this recipe before in several other keto cookbooks but they tend to call for an almond flour coating whereas this one called for a crushed pork skin and Parmesan coating and it made all the difference. A simple tweak like that lent a really crunchy and smoky flavor to the chicken. I ended up sharing some with my parents who are not on a keto diet plan. Nonetheless, they loved it! I like that the ingredients are simple and easy to find and that the portion sizes and the nutrition facts/macros are right there at the bottom of each recipe. I enjoyed reading the author's personal testimony. I also appreciated that the book is packed full of photos so that you can see what your food will look like. I joined the Simply Keto Facebook group for support. I own several keto cookbooks now and each of them has things that I like. I'll be referring to all of them. But this is one of my favorites so far. I love the author's attention to detail, the high quality publishing, the photos, tips, and the stories. I just think it's very well done and that it seems like a labor of love. She was somebody who struggled with a serious weight condition. She was somebody like me who needs to lose a lot of weight and who struggled with weight most of her life. So the overall vibe of the book comes across as a sincere desire to help people who have tried everything and failed.

I started the process of converting to the ketogenic diet a little over a month ago and bought this book after reading the reviews. I am so glad I did. As I said in my headline, this is much more than a cookbook because of the story that goes with it and the thoughtful things included in it like tips, meal plans, keto resources, food charts, Q&As, conversion charts, etc. Switching over to the keto lifestyle is a big change from the "normal," carb-heavy diet that included throwing or giving away a lot of food I had stockpiled and starting to learn what to shop for and prepare keto-friendly food. I soon saw that I had no clue what I needed to shop for or how to prepare it. In essence, I would have to start all over learning entirely new processes. Naturally, there a some foods that remain from my previous diet, but putting together a balanced meal took a lot of research and studying in order to find dishes I enjoyed and fit in with the proper balance, which is much more important here than a "normal" diet. Suzanne's book was a very important resource and got me started in the right direction. She explains the process of keeping up with your macro nutrients and points you toward some apps and websites that will be a big help if you are just starting out. It was pretty hazy at first because I had several misconceptions that were cleared up once I started to accurately track my macros. That was a real eye-opener and, although I was reluctant to "mess with" that kind of detail, I now don't see how anyone can have the success they want without doing it. This is my go-to cookbook and still use it almost every day. I have prepared several of her recipes with good success and appreciate all of the detail she includes about the number of carbs, fats and protein included in a serving. I have entered several of the recipes in my phone app so now it's easy to enter what I had to eat for each meal and get an very accurate count of the important values. Whether you want to lose weight or just be healthier, I believe this is the way to accomplish it and Suzanne's book will get you started in the right direction.

I have been doing keto since Feb 2018. I bought a keto cookbook that was GREAT, but i had made everything and I’ve been searching for something with more ideas. I spent a few hours, literally, going through the reviews for cookbooks here as well as googling them. I tend to read the 1-2 star reviews first as a majority of the reviews are fake. If a cookbook promotes using non- keto food, I crossesnit off my list. I read reviews for this book and it had quite a few negative points so I skipped it. I had to take a break because it seemed the ‘real’ keto cookbooks that were reliable were few and far between. I am on a keto FB page and this cookbook was HIGHLY recommended. On a whim I bought it. I AM SO GLAD I DID!!! Not only is this a BEYOND AMAZING book for beginners, I feel as an intermediate experienced ‘ketoer’ I have learned so much. The quick glance information in the back has been wonderful, her story is great, but honestly, the recipes are the best. She also gives a guide what to order while eating out- for every type of food. Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Italian, etc. This book uses dairy, but she gives options to reduce or make a recipe diary free. There were a lot of comments saying they were unfamiliar with items and needed to buy ‘extra’ stuff. Those people could not have been full keto. If you’re REALLY doing a keto WOE, than you’ll have most everything already. Almond flour, HWC, sea salt, salted butter, pure olive oil, bacon are all things we keep regularly stocked. The only thing I had to buy is a goat cheese. I wanted to try something new and I could have easily used a different kind. Ive made about 25 of the recipes so far; all of them have fir easily into my daily macros. I wanted to give it some time to really see how I felt about the book before reviewing it. Food is realistic, isn’t going to make you max out macros with one meal and easy enough that I, a horrible cook, was able to make people compliment my cooking! If you’re looking for a new cookbook I highly recommend this one. Read poor reviews with a grain of salt...

This is a really great introduction to the ketogenic lifestyle. Ryan's personal story is compelling and her explanation of keto is clear and simply laid out. She makes the reader believe, and rightly so, that keto is doable. I've read so many books on keto that seem intent on making it much more complex than it really needs to be. In contrast, I found Ryan's "practical approach" to be readily usable while at the same time being very thorough. In addition to the what and why's, Ryan's recipes are mostly very easy and mostly wonderful. The 60-Second Mug Biscuits, for just one, are really easy to make and offer a nice change in taste and texture from my usual egg-based breakfasts. The Slow Cooker Loaded Cauliflower Soup is delicious! The Lime Brussels Chips - roasted, lime-flavored Brussels sprouts leaves - are an easy snack and delicious alternative to the ubiquitous kale chips. Next up for me is the Quick and Easy Personal Pizza because that mozzarella crust is not to be ignored. Some of the recipes are so easy that they may seem like filler to some - the roasted Brussels sprouts, the zucchini noddles, things like that - but they are ones that will be appreciated by keto beginners, especially those who do not have a ton of cooking experience. The Kindle version of this book is one of the most well thought out cookbooks on Kindle that I have (among many!) and there are pictures of pretty much every recipe. Bottom line: this book has gotten more use than any of the other keto books I have. Very informative and very nicely done.

As far as low carb recipe books go I have really gotten a ton of use out of this book so far and found it to be of good value for my money. The low carb/low sugar recipes have added some nice variety to our meals and the overall plan did not leave me feeling hungry or deprived, I appreciated the tips throughout. I really like the 30 day meal planner in the back that I can mix and match as I please according what food I might have on hand. Dinners suited everyone in the family, most were very quick to prepare we all enjoy the variety. There are some different breakfast ideas rather than eggs & protein smoothies every day, I love the muffin & pancake recipes that use almond flour, I found the almond flour is a little expensive but you use so little of it in recipes it goes a long way. The Cheese Keto Crackers are amazing, good little nibbles to take the edge off, easy to make, there's lots of low carb appetizers, sauces, sweets.... like I said it's a great tool to have in your kitchen. I also enjoyed reading about the author's journey, honest and straightforward, which has been inspiring for me too, to me this isn't a "diet" it's changing the way I eat to feel better all the way around!

A genuine guide by the Author. From the beginning to end telling her life experience including photographs in the first section onto an explanation on Ketogenic food and the science behind it. A Cookbook which is easy to follow, beautifully put together; bright photographs and colourful illustrations with her 'Tips' under each recipe including a breakdown of Calories/Fats/Protein and Carbs per portion. Super guide to the Ketogenic (low Carb) way of cooking, with suggestions of essential tools; utensils to help you, along with her personal choice of books she chose to help her on her way at the start of her journey. For beginners this is a great book. It is American, so for the European market one just has to look up certain food products and translate them, and convert American 'Cups' into Metric ( I looked it up on the web). All in all, I have found her journey really inspiring and think this is one of the best presented books on this extraordinary way of eating.. who would ever have thought eating fat encourages weight loss.. Well it does. Very much looking forward to her next book.

I bought two keto cookbooks at the same rime and use this exclusively. Simple tasty recipes.

Libros de recetas keto hay muchos, pero este se diferencia mucho, y para bien. Las recetas están impecablemente elaboradas, son fáciles de seguir y preparar. Los resultados son muy buenos. Sí, primero hay que seguirlas al pie de la letra, ya después las ajustaremos a nuestro clima y despensa. Son novedosas, variadas, sabrosas y fáciles, sin errores y su imagen de enorme calidad. Muy recomendable.

I love it! I just read it all and I think it’s just so true, simple and easy, that is why it’s so successful and good. A must to start this keto journey!